Filenews 6 July 2021
In the red is the alarm because of the increased cases, which if we do not pay attention will be launched in a thousand, says Professor of Microbiology/Molecularilogy of the Medical School of the University of Nicosia Dr Petros Karagiannis, who sounds the alarm and calls on the world, especially young people, to be vaccinated so that we do not get worse.
Despite all the urges and admonishment, he said, it seems that we are still behaving as if the virus has left the community - yesterday's results of 787 cases show us that the virus is with us and even at an increasing rate of transmission due to behaviours that we do not mean to stop at the moment to limit the spread.
"We are only about 160 cases away from the number we had before we took the latest severe restraining order. Of course things have changed since then, vaccination coverage has increased,' he noted.
At the moment, he continued, most cases involve those under the age of 40, much more than 25 years old, where at least 55% of cases are detected.
'Therefore, these are younger people, who are ill and some of them are seriously ill and admitted to hospitals, but we will not see the severity of the disease, as we have had in older people. This does not mean that sooner or later the virus will not progress upwards because some who are positive may come into contact with elderly people who have not yet been vaccinated,' he added.
There will be an increase in hospitalizations
Dr Karagiannis said there is a high risk of increased hospitalizations. "We have already started and we are seeing an increase in hospitalizations, which compared to previous flare-ups are still at lower levels because they are younger people. I think there will be more increases in hospitalizations," he said.
From the data of the epidemic in Great Britain, the Professor said, it has been observed that although this virus is more contagious to younger people, hospitalizations are not to the same extent as in previous pandemic waves and deaths are currently limited. That is why, he continued, the British Government has taken the very courageous decision to remove the restrictive measures, which I hope, he noted, will not cost them dearly.
Will there be a restraining order?
Dr Karagiannis indicated that previously for the reduction of cases we had as a weapon the restrictive measures. Right now, he noted, we will have to keep a close eye on our epidemiological picture and evolution in the next few days. "Everything will depend on the number of hospitalizations. Right now it looks like the situation is still under control. We have little breathing space from there and we'll have to think again about the measures. I don't know what kind of restrictive measures could come in the middle of the summer season and the tourist traffic. If restrictive measures are put in place then it's like closing our economy for the rest of the season,' he added.
What is better, he said, to voluntarily limit ourselves to one or two weeks by fully implementing self-protection measures and protocols or to be forced at the end of the day to impose restrictive measures? That's a dilemma at the moment.
"I wouldn't consider it impossible to see a thousand cases in the way things have turned out. It's bad," he noted.
In relation to the imposition of restrictive measures, Dr Karagiannis said it was up to the Government to decide. We, she suggested, are at her disposal as scientists to express our views.
"If we don't change our mindset and if we don't get involved in the fact that even though it's Summer we have to wear masks, keep our distance, and avoid places where people congregate, then things are bad," he said.
Young people need to be vaccinated
Dr Karagiannis said younger people need to understand that they need to be vaccinated. "At the moment the rest of the vaccinated and responsible residents of Cyprus are being held hostage by a portion that does not seem to understand the importance of vaccinations. And another portion that hears that some vaccinated people can get sick and say if the vaccinated aren't protected, why should I get the vaccine? They ignore that vaccines are effective at 85%," he noted.
Asked if the increase in cases was due to the Delta mutation, he said that we do not know exactly because we have not had any further recent announcements from the laboratory in Germany that makes these identifications. "But I think," he noted, "with the speed with which we see cases doubling every now and then, that it's probably the mutant Delta strain."
Will there be a reduction in cases?
Dr Karagiannis said he can't predict whether there will be a reduction and that it depends on our behaviour. We say it and we sayiut again, he noted, but we are not saying to mean it and implement it.
Imagine, he continued, if it were winter months in what numbers the cases would be. "If it was Autumn and we were all indoors, then you understand that the transmission of the virus would be even more widespread. Fortunately due to the vaccination coverage and the fact that it is our summer months, we are mostly outdoors does not help the transmission of the virus. But if someone sees the transmission chains they understand that they come from places where a lot of people mix together and don't adhere to self-protection measures or health protocols,' he added.
Finally, he expressed the position that by September we need to increase our vaccination coverage to around 80% to provide armour. "If we don't, we're going to have a problem. Things are clear now,' he added.
Cna
